Sheridan Hibbert, Contributor
The Ginger Plant. - Contributed photos
Ginger is a large tuberous perennial plant native to Southern Asia, now cultivated in almost all tropical and subtropical countries, especially China, India, Nigeria, Australia, Jamaica and Haiti. China and India are the world's leading producers of ginger, but Jamaican ginger is world-renowned to have the best flavour. The Spaniards brought ginger to Jamaica in the early 16th century. They cultivated it on a large scale mainly for export to Europe.
Ginger has been used as a medicine since ancient times and is recorded in early Sanskrit and Chinese texts, Ancient Greek, Roman and Arabic texts. In Jamaica, ginger has been used in our folklore to treat nausea and reduction of swelling and pain of the joints. Other reported medicinal benefits of ginger include its use in traditional Chinese medicine as a digestive aid, treating bleeding disorders and rheumatism. In Ayurveda, traditional medicine of India, ginger has been used to prevent excessive clotting in heart disease, reduce cholesterol and reduce the effects of arthritis.
Components
Ginger contains volatile oil, pungent principles (gingerols and shogaols), lipids, phosphatic acid, lecthins, starch, vitamins (especially niacin and A), minerals, amino acids, resins, among other minor components.
The main components responsible for its medicinal properties are the gingerols and shogaols. Scientific studies conducted in lab animals found that both gingerols and shogaols have analgesic (relieves pain), sedative, anti-bacterial and gastro-intestinal motility effects, i.e. aids in stomach problems. Investigation of [6]-gingerol (one of the gingerols present in ginger) indicates that it has anti-oxidative and anti-tumour activity.
The anti-inflammatory properties of gingerols have been linked to its chemical structure, which is said to be similar to capsaicin, a known pain reliever. Gingerols have also been found to inhibit the enzyme cycclooxygenase (COX) that causes inflammation.
Ginger has also been found to reduce cholesterol levels by promoting its excretion and impairing its absorption, it also possesses cardio tonic (beneficial to the heart) and thermogenic (warms the body) activities.
Pharmacological studies in humans using ginger showed ginger to be a potent treatment for motion sickness, postoperative nausea, morning sickness during pregnancy and chemotherapy-induced nausea.
No known side effects
There are no known side effects of using ginger, however, there have been concerns about using ginger to treat morning sickness during pregnancy based on two studies published in the 1980s on [6]-gingerol, one of the compounds isolated from ginger. In vitro tests (test carried out in test tubes) have indicated that gingerol at high doses had mutagenic effects (causes cells to mutate or change).
However, ginger also possesses other compounds that have anti-mutagenic properties. There is also no scientific evidence that at the dosage required for ginger to be effective as an anti-nauseant (one gram of dried root), that ginger will produce harm to mother or baby. There are also clinical studies that have been carried out on pregnant women that showed no effects on infants delivered.
The review of the folklore and scientific literature shows that ginger has several medicinal properties which can be exploited to benefit Jamaica commercially; one area of interest is the nutraceutical industry. Nutraceuticals are described as any non-toxic ingredients scientifically proven to provide medicinal or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of diseases.
The Scientific Research Council is currently undertaking a project entitled 'Supporting the Development of a Nutraceutical Industry in Jamaica'. Under this project, funded by the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Government of Jamaica, ginger is one of the five plants selected for research and product development of value-added products.
References
European Scientific Co-operative on Phytotherapy (E/S/C/O/P) Monographs
Herbal Medicine Expanded Commission E monographs, edited by Mark Blumenthal et.al.
Hand book of Medicinal Herbs by James A. Duke.
SRC/OAS Research Report 'Supporting the Development of a Nutraceutical Industry in Jamaica'.
The information provided above is intended for educational purposes only and should be treated as such. Any medical condition should be referred to a medical practitioner.
Sheridan Hibbert is a research scientist employed to the Scientific Research Council and an MPhil student in the Department of Chemistry, University of the West Indies.
